I finished building my new F-35 for a "take 2" attempt at getting this airborne and dependable. This time around, I went with the same fan, however I am going to use a Cyclone 2500KV motor and start with a 5S pack. Likely i will end up trying this on a 6s pack as well.

I have to say that outside of the mistakes I made the plane has flown well...not extremely fast but respectable. I am looking forward to trying this new combo and see how it does.

UPDATE:

I finally got to maiden the 35 last weekend....or at least try. Didn't have near enough power and I can't for the life of me figure out why. According to what others have used and what came stock in the box, my combo should have done the trick just fine. Though I went back and looked, and the only thing different was my fan had one less blade, but they were larger and had more pitch. So I put together the stock fan with a 2750KV motor and later this week will try and get it up in the air.
UPDATE 2

Today I was able to get out to the field and try another shot at flying the 35. This time I installed the factory fan with a 2750KV from the FMS F4 Phantom (70mm plane) and used the same 5S-3000mah 30C pack.

Take off it had more power than with the Tahmazo fan/Cyclone 2500KV setup (used same pack). It lifted off not too far down the runway but I instantly knew it was still way underpowered. Several folks at the field commented while I was flying that it was under powered. I was able to make a few passes but it was a struggle to keep it up. I landed it after two passes.

The factory fan is a 6 blade and the Tahmazo is a 5 blade (though the Tahmazo has bigger blades, better pitch and better balance). There have been other accounts of this plane actually flying well using the stock fan, stock 2400KV setup with a 5S 2200- 3000 mah pack.

Since I have tried the 2750Kv/stock fan setup, and the Cyclone 2500kv/Tahmazo fan setup with poor results, the only other thing I can think of to try is the Cyclone 2500KV and stock fan combo to see how it works.

Hi.
I am doing such a mod, based on the Mirage 2000 and Hawk from Jepe. You may find photos in the threads of these plane in rc-groups.
Manly, you guide the air from each intake to the fan. Ideally, you have to have a bifurcated tube that is tricky to form, but is the solution IMHO.
As soon as I will test my mod, I will post the results and photos.
Best
Takis

Hi.
I am doing such a mod, based on the Mirage 2000 and Hawk from Jepe. You may find photos in the threads of these plane in rc-groups.
Manly, you guide the air from each intake to the fan. Ideally, you have to have a bifurcated tube that is tricky to form, but is the solution IMHO.
As soon as I will test my mod, I will post the results and photos.
Best
Takis

+1
Great looking model but the duct is the one way that the LX version differs from other F-35s with even smaller inlets for the same 70mm EDF that easily fly faster for even less drive system. The complaints should have had LX go back and add a foam insert tube but they didn't.

I just haven't gotten around to it but I had in mind to get two 1 3/8" flex tube sleeved over a wood plank duct shaped template to a 2 3/4" tube and use this to form a glass mold of the duct. Also had the idea of using strands of fishing line to make the unique shape or contours of the inner shape of the LX F-35. Till then its a project on the shelf till I get a duct solution.

Since the inside form of the inlets as they are now are fairly square, is it recommended to make something round rather than following the existing lines inside the frame? I really didn't want to get into fiberglassing or molding something...any other ideas or materials that could be used?

Since the inside form of the inlets as they are now are fairly square, is it recommended to make something round rather than following the existing lines inside the frame? I really didn't want to get into fiberglassing or molding something...any other ideas or materials that could be used?

Squarish will do fine... it just need to get round at about 140mm from the fan face. If you know how to warm depron like Takiss mentioned, you could roll a tube and then split it off into square forms. But you have to know how to convert a flat form to a contouring body. That usually involves even more geometry and thought to do it equally on both duct.

But I agree its a head ache and a dropped ball on LXs part for not making even a thin walled simple duct. They could have even created a foam sleeve later but my guess is the low performance turned everyones interest away from the model to the point that they don't even bother.

I kept my old crashed airframe that is split apart. it looks as though if I can make a transition so the air turns towards the fan rather going straight back and hitting a dead stop, that might help out. maybe one piece that is turned at a 45 or so and curved up to the fan. I don't think I can muster up the interest to build formed full length intakes.

Well I took a look down the intakes on the F35 right around where the rear gear is things open up quite a bit and then goes to the back of the plane with a dead stop. So what I thought I would do is build some sort of transition piece that would curve the airflow from the outer edges of the intake inward and direct it to the intake of the fan. This would essentially cutoff the entire open back area of the plane. So take a look at the small transition piece I made from depron...you can really see how it will curve the airflow. I am just not sure how I am going to get it in a finished and built plane.

I worked abit more on m F35 last night and got the deflectors mounted inside. It looks like I was able decrease the intake volume overall by 50%....closer to the intake area at the front of the intakes. I pulled the 2750KV motor and installed a new 3000KV longer can motor and used a different intake lip on the fan. Was able to balance out the fan so it ran much smoother. Hopefully I can get it out tomorrow and see how it runs.